Addicted to an Addict Read online

  Neither his fellow Omega Psi Phi frat brothers nor his twin brother could believe that he had fallen prey to the old-fashioned pussy trap. But Josiah swore that wasn’t how Mink had reeled him in. He blamed it on her copper, almond-shaped eyes, phat ass, and full soft lips. Pure ego had kept him from confessing to Jeremiah and his frat brothers that he hadn’t even popped the panties yet. Mink had charisma and finesse. The chick was sexy with her clothes on, and she had sunk her hooks deep into him by refusing to give up the cookie. It wasn’t until Christmas break after Josiah had saved up all of his money to rent a car to make the trip to Maryland that he and Mink finally consummated their relationship. And to him, it had been well worth the wait, and then some change. The memory of that night many years ago when he took Mink’s virginity made his dick jump as he slid into his suit coat.

  “That’s my favorite suit on you,” Mink said in a gravelly voice. “Which one of your whores do you plan to seduce today? Let me guess. It’s that white slut in Human Resources, huh? Or is it Rita, the nappy-headed tar baby on your campaign committee? Who is it, JoJo? Tell me who you’re screwing behind my back!”

  Josiah turned to face the mirror and adjusted his tie, refusing to entertain yet another one of Mink’s episodes of paranoia. She never ceased to accuse him of fooling around with other women whenever she was experiencing withdrawal symptoms. If any man had the right to have a side piece or two, surely, it was him. But he didn’t. He had never cheated on Mink since the first night they’d made love. The truth of the matter was he wasn’t attracted to any other woman because his heart belonged to his drug-addicted wife.

  Josiah walked over to Mink with compassion in his eyes. “Mrs. Wilson is the driver for the afternoon carpool. She’ll drop the girls off at the regular time. Please try to be awake so you can let them in and help Gem with her homework. They’ll need snacks and dinner too. You can order takeout if you don’t feel like cooking. Miss Gladys will be here tomorrow.” He lifted her chin and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be home around eight o’clock. Mama and Rev are expecting me for a visit. Have a good day, baby.”

  “You’re still a fucking mama’s boy! You don’t love me, JoJo! The only people you give a damn about are your controlling parents, Jeremiah, and the voters that put you in office. What about the girls and me?”

  “No one comes before you and our daughters, Mink. You know that. Why don’t you take a warm bubble bath to help you relax? I’m sure Mama will cook enough food for you and the girls. Eat something, sweetheart. You’ll feel better.” He hugged his wife as he fought back the tears. “I love you.”

  “Fuck you, JoJo,” she growled, pushing him away before she stormed back into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

  * * *

  “I cooked country fried steak smothered in brown gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans just for you, JoJo, because it’s your favorite. I made buttermilk corn bread muffins too. Come on and sit down, and I’ll fix you a plate, baby.”

  “No, thank you. I’m still stuffed from a late lunch, Mama,” Josiah said, taking a seat at the table. “Where’s Rev?”

  “He’s in the den watching the news and talking to your brother.”

  “Yeah, I saw J’s car in the driveway.”

  Myrlie laughed. “Your brother is here most evenings for dinner or picking up a carry-out plate. Where else is a 36-year-old bachelor with no plans to ever marry supposed to get a home-cooked meal? The boy has to eat, and his mama loves to feed him.”

  “He needs to stop acting like a pimp and find one good woman to settle down with. If he had a wife, he’d have a personal cook to prepare his meals, someone to clean his condo, and a body to birth your future grandbabies.”

  “You have a wife, but Miss Gladys is still at your house three times a week cleaning and cooking. Hell, the only good thing Mink has ever done for you is birth your daughters.” Jeremiah walked farther into the den and took a seat next to his twin.

  Josiah turned and frowned at the face that was identical to his. Hair type was the only physical feature he and Jeremiah did not share. Whereas Josiah sported a short and precise cut along with a neatly trimmed mustache and goatee, Jeremiah was a dread head with a clean baby face. His locs were usually secured in a bundle by an elastic band at the back of his head, which fell to rest midway down his back. But during his downtime, he allowed them to hang wild and loose.

  “My marriage is far from perfect, J,” Josiah finally admitted. “But Gem and Treasure are gifts from God.”

  “And Mink is Satan’s daughter.”

  “Don’t talk about my wife.”

  “Screw that b—”

  “Watch your mouth, Jeremiah James! Rev and I don’t allow filthy communication in this house! You know better!” Myrlie threw the dishrag she’d been holding on the counter. “And how come you hate Mink so much anyway?”

  “Because she’s going to ruin JoJo’s life! She’s nothing but a hindrance to him, and I’m sick of her!”

  “JoJo, baby, what is your brother talking about? Tell me right now what’s going on with Mink.”

  “That’s why I’m here, Mama. I came by to tell you and Rev something that I should’ve told you two years ago. Mink is strung out on heroin. She’s a real bad addict, and it’s got my whole world spinning upside down.”

  Myrlie’s jaw damn near dropped to the floor, but when she picked it up, she screamed, “Rev, you need to get your holy oil and bring it over here, honey!”

  Chapter Three

  Josiah honked his horn twice as he passed by the guard shack at the entrance of the exclusive gated community where he and his family lived. Tommy Lee, the night-shift security guard, was a talker, and he wasn’t in the mood for his yapping tonight. Josiah was in a hurry to get home to read a bedtime story to his little princesses and tuck them in. They had called him while he was at his parents’ house, asking for their assistance and support after he told them about Mink’s drug habit. Gem wanted to know when he was coming home. Josiah had promised her that he’d be there in time to put her and her sister to bed. When he asked her how her mother was doing, Gem told him that she was fine. He was happy to hear that Mink had helped her with her homework and prepared dinner. The fact that she’d somehow managed to stay clean today gave Josiah hope.

  He whipped his silver Mercedes GLS SUV into the three-car garage and killed the engine. He had exactly twenty-eight minutes to spend quality time with Gem and Treasure before their bedtime. Unfortunately, his job as mayor, along with his political campaign, often robbed him of precious moments with his family, and he hated it. Mink constantly threw up the lack of time he spent with the family in his face. But she had willingly signed on to be a political wife, so she should’ve expected Josiah to be missing in action sometimes. She had been a part of his dream to climb the ranks in law and politics. In fact, she used to be his number one fan. Now it seemed like she had turned her back on his dreams, ambitions, and even their marriage for heroin.

  Josiah entered the house with those thoughts in mind and found Mink in the kitchen. The second she turned around to face him, he noticed how clear and bright her eyes were. She was smiling too. His eyes lowered to take in the rest of her. For the first time in weeks, she bore some semblance to the old Mink—the healthy, sizzling-hot woman who he’d gladly give his life for. The smooth curves of her Coke-bottle figure were well defined underneath a form-fitting zebra print chemise. The mini hemline put her firm thighs on full display.

  Josiah had always obsessed over her soft and taut butterscotch skin. And this particular night, he was especially drawn to it because of its eye-catching glow. Her long, naturally curly hair, spilling over her shoulders, was a complete turn-on. Josiah wanted his fingers to get lost in the wild, sandy tresses.

  Mink smiled seductively with mischief in her bright, coppery eyes. “Are you hungry, or did you eat dinner with your parents?”

  “I wasn’t hungry.”

  “I cooked penne pasta with a tangy shrimp marinara sauce
. Are you hungry now?”

  Hell yeah, I’m hungry, but not for food, Josiah was tempted to tell Mink, but he suppressed his rising testosterone. “Yeah, I could eat a little bit, but let me go upstairs and spend some time with the girls first.”

  “Cool. You do that, but their mom wants a couple of hours tonight too.”

  Josiah dashed up the double marble staircase and rushed to the master suite. He changed out of his suit and put on a pair of sweats and a plain white tee. He heard the girls’ voices floating from their room as he made his way down the hall. Treasure was laughing at something Gem was saying to her. The television was on the Disney Channel in the background.

  “Daddy!” both girls shrieked when he crossed the threshold.

  “I told you I’d be here before you went to sleep.” He scooped up his baby girl in his arms.

  “Mommy wasn’t sick today,” Gem announced. “She gave us apple slices, Nilla Wafers, and mango juice before she helped me with my math and spelling. Then she cooked pasta for dinner. I like it when she feels good.”

  “I do too, sweetheart.”

  Josiah walked over to the bookshelf and found the most recent book he’d purchased from the Chocolate Princess Collection by his friend and college mate, Tarashah Yokembe. He sat down in the rocking chair with Treasure in his arms. Gem climbed onto his lap also and wrapped an arm around his neck. He opened the vividly illustrated book and spent the next fifteen minutes casting a magic spell on his daughters with words.

  “I loved that story, Daddy!”

  “Me too,” Treasure agreed.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it, but now it’s time to say your prayers and get into bed.”

  He stood and led them to Treasure’s bed. Then he knelt between his daughters and listened to them thank God for their family, friends, and a dozen other things. The list of blessings they asked for was even longer. The last thing Gem asked God to do was fix her mommy so that she would be well all the time.

  It pricked Josiah’s heart when he heard that request because he wanted the same thing. He had begged God many nights to remove Mink’s craving for heroin from her body. There were times when he thought that his prayers had been answered because she would be clean and cognizant for several days. She would attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings daily and spend lots of time talking with her sponsor. Then just when Josiah believed she had turned the corner on her way to a drug-free life, she would crash and burn all over again. And each time she relapsed, her condition got progressively worse than the time before. Her heroin usage became more frequent, causing sporadic mood swings and surprise disappearing acts. Josiah and the girls didn’t know what to expect from Mink at times. They were living in an ongoing nightmare. They had managed to hide it from most of the family for two years . . . until now.

  Every expert in the field of substance abuse treatment that Josiah had sought professional advice from had recommended the same solutions. Mink needed to commit herself to an intensive in-patient drug rehabilitation facility and take methadone treatments regularly. She had done that a few times in the past at his insistence, but she always found an excuse to leave before the standard twenty-eight-day detox period and often refused the methadone injections. Most times she’d claim that she missed her girls and that she could do better in a day treatment program. Josiah had placed her in two or three of those before and spent thousands of dollars, hoping for a miracle. During one of those outpatient rehab stints, Mink had attended treatment sessions, including individual counseling and group therapy, every day from morning until afternoon like it was a job. She had even stayed clean and productive for a couple of weeks. Then one day, out of the blue, she went MIA for a few days, and the cycle started all over again. And now they were back to square one.

  Josiah snatched his mind away from his thoughts as he tucked the girls in bed and kissed them good night. He thanked God that Mink was clean today as he closed the bedroom door. Maybe she was ready for long-term in-patient treatment and a methadone regimen to finally put an end to her heroin dependency once and for all. Josiah could only hope so.

  He hurried downstairs and found Mink sitting at the kitchen table with the light from two candles flickering and slicing through the darkness. She smiled as Josiah walked closer to the table. The aroma of the pasta she’d prepared lingered in the air. He sat down across from her right in front of a place setting fit for a king. Steam rose from the tangy pasta and side serving of sautéed asparagus. And one look at the garden salad caused him to salivate.

  Josiah picked up his fork. “This smells delicious, baby.” He scooped up a forkful of food and placed it in his mouth. “You did good, girl. Thank you,” he said softly as he savored the pasta.

  “You’re welcome.”

  For the next several minutes, Josiah ate in silence while Mink looked on, equally quiet. From the way she dressed, he was pretty sure how their night was going to end. It had been two weeks since the last time they’d made love. Tonight was as good as any to end their sex hiatus. They’d never had a problem connecting in the bedroom. It was only when Mink was using that Josiah was forced into celibacy. He wasn’t exactly sexually attracted to a woman who was incoherent, moody, and puking or shitting all over the damn place. But he didn’t have to worry about that tonight because the sexy lady sitting across from him now was looking all kinds of delicious in zebra print lingerie. And she wasn’t high on the opiate she loved so dearly. The scent of her perfume was turning him on. So as soon as he finished eating, he was going to shower and take his wife to bed. He planned to make love to her until they both passed out from exhaustion.

  * * *

  Josiah didn’t want to come too soon, but Mink’s pussy was so tight, juicy, and hot that he was losing control. Plus, it had been two weeks since he had been inside of her, and she was fucking him like a seasoned porn star. Her energy level was through the roof, and she was working her coochie muscles like nobody’s business. Josiah almost couldn’t keep up with Mink’s wild bucking and hip rolling. She was putting it down, pushing him closer and closer to the edge too soon. Josiah wanted their lovemaking session to last just a little while longer, but at the rate Mink was going, he knew he would explode too early. So he decided to end her wild cowgirl rodeo performance by flipping her over onto her back. A brotha had to regain control of the situation.

  Now on top, Josiah shifted gears. He slowed down their fast-paced bumping and grinding to a smooth and lazy ride, but he plunged deeper into her sweet goodness on each stroke. Their tongues teased and twirled around each other’s in a steamy salsa that was wet and out of control. Josiah couldn’t tell whose moans were louder—his or Mink’s. They were working magic on each other equally in their most intense sexcapade in many, many months. The reunion was sweeter than vanilla ice cream on a hot summer day. How the hell could the woman who continuously caused his heart so much pain also bring his body more pleasure than he could handle just when he needed it most?

  Mink was Josiah’s healing potion for whatever ailed him; yet, she was also the poison that was slowly choking the life out of him. She was a blessing and a curse at the same time. Josiah loved Mink, but he hated her habit. She loved him too, but not as much as she loved heroin. The sad reality of the matter was they both were addicts. Mink was addicted to heroin, and Josiah was addicted to Mink. And in the middle of all of the dependency were their two innocent and precious daughters who deserved a stable family. But Mink’s addiction to heroin was making that impossible.

  At the moment, Josiah didn’t care that his wife was a druggie. He was caught up in her sex trap, and that’s exactly where he wanted to be. The feeling of being buried deep inside of her to the hilt made him forget every bad thing she had ever done to him and their children because of dope. Josiah was on the verge of busting a massive nut that had him delirious as hell. When Mink wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed, causing him to slide deeper into her juicy walls, his heart flipped a few times.

  “Damn, Mink! You’re
trying to kill me, girl!”

  Her response was a bright smile and lots of hip action. Then she bucked underneath Josiah like she’d lost control of her body. “Yesss! That’s my spot, JoJo! That’s it, baby!”

  Mink’s climax triggered Josiah’s. He released what seemed like gallons of semen inside of her. “Ah . . . shit . . . Uuuuuugh!”

  The sound of their breathing into the darkness was faint. Josiah rolled over onto his back with Mink in his arms. He kissed her forehead as she lay on top of his body damp with sweat. “I love you, girl. I always have, and I always will, no matter what.”

  “I know, JoJo. I love you too, and I’m ready to get the help I need. I want to get well for you and the girls.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” He kissed her again. “We’ll talk about it in the morning, baby.”

  Chapter Four

  “Man, what’s up with you? I noticed you smiling and bouncing around city hall this morning. You didn’t yell at Conner one time throughout the entire staff meeting, even though he was asking all kinds of stupid-ass questions. What’s the deal, JoJo?” Jeremiah took a sip of water and looked around the restaurant with a smile on his face. He knew his twin better than anyone else, including Mink. Something was going on with Josiah for sure, and he wanted to know the scoop.

  “Man, Mink has been clean for fourteen days. She’s never stayed on track this long without going into detox and getting methadone injections. I think she’s going to make it this time.”

  Jeremiah leaned back in his chair. “If she’s not in rehab and taking methadone, how is she doing it?”

  “She’s been going to Narcotics Anonymous six days a week and hanging out with her sponsor a lot. They talk on the phone all the time too. I’m proud of her, man. Life is good.”

  “I’m happy for you and the girls. I was about to put out a hit on Mink’s ass for all of the bullshit she’s been putting y’all through.”